As everyone knows Harry lost his mother when he was young. Yet so did his brother William. It is quite clear throughout Harry's storytelling that William cares about him a great deal and is worried about him and wanting to get him help. William can obviously see he is going the same way as his mother did (paranoid).

Diana had two sons, remember that when reading this story. I for one will always remember the heart-breaking image of Diana’s two sons walk behind their mother’s coffin. A life changing event for the boys she loved, which caused mental health issues for BOTH sons growing up, something they jointly opened up about and campaign for. Yet Harry does this publicly to William. I’m in a minority here on GR, by rating this a ‘1’ because most people I know who have a problem with Harry’s behaviour, integrity, and motives for writing this book have chosen not to waste their money or time on it. Which potentially provides a distorted view of UK public opinion, in particular.Even my father reminds me that unfortunately Willy and I can’t be normal…in which normal events were treated as abnormal, and the abnormal was routinely normalized.” Here is my deep concern. By publishing a kill count of 25 Taliban fighter’s aka chess pieces (in his own words) he has increased the risk to himself, his family, and many others in military service. I find this abhorrent and immoral, because every death is someone’s child, father, brother, or friend, and even in war we should respect that. What prudent person publishes a tally? My GR friends may recall, I recently read Diamond Eye, where the MC was a female sniper and whilst a heroine in the eyes of many, she actually kept a body count of her kills which did not sit well with me, for the same reason. Respect. Who does that? Yet once again Harry takes no responsibility and has since tried to change the narrative by blaming the press for manipulating his words despite the fact that this sordid comment is written by him in his own memoir.

In every corner of Harry’s life is the shadow of his mother’s death and the grief that still hasn’t fully been processed. It is the very through-line of his story. That little boy behind the coffin is never far away from the reader’s mind. So they sell access to their experiences, and honestly, I'm not mad at them. I think they are desperately trying to secure enough resources to raise their kids safely. They are also continuing philanthropic work which isn't as helpful as most think but can be noble I guess. Philanthropy is largely a tax haven but I digress. While many of Harry’s experiences are obviously unique, what strikes me about Harry and his writing is how relatable he is. Of course I’m not royal, I haven’t had a significant loss, I haven’t served in the military. I have experienced toxic and challenging relationships, I have experienced feeling misunderstood, invalidated, and unheard.Later, his girlfriends were followed by the press and then there was his life with Meghan when he was finally happy. He was told that it will be difficult for her. Yet, the press wanted him to be married. Most of us know he ended up leaving his beloved country to find a better life. This book was revealing, but also frustrating. Harry spares no punches rightfully pointing out where others have done wrong. However, he fails to consistently apply this same critical eye to his own actions. While he sounds like he feels bad for his missteps, he attributes them entirely to his upbringing with little interrogation. For example: It was one of the most searing images of the twentieth century: two young boys, two princes, walking behind their mother’s coffin as the world watched in sorrow—and horror. As Princess Diana was laid to rest, billions wondered what Prince William and Prince Harry must be thinking and feeling—and how their lives would play out from that point on. But, the majority of the book covers his impressive public work and his military career, both aspects of his life endangered by being hounded by the press. It is a pattern in his life that those close to him have their lives threatened either by or because of paparazzi presence—once endangering a whole unit in Iran—meaning that few are willing to get too close or stay that way. It’s understandable that he would want to tell his story himself. Only, maybe we could do with less of his “todger.”

Next to Harry, Prince Andrew gets the kindest treatment of the royals, being referred to only as "embarrassing"(he sounds more upset about Kate asking Meg to apologize for the baby brain comment). I didn't expect something earthshattering, particularly given his friendship with Eugenie, but I think Andrew's actions merit a bit of a harsher adjective than "embarrassing" Harry's military service is discussed, and at first reading, it might even appear thoroughly so. However, the majority of that writing feels less about service, his tours, and his fellow soldiers, and more about how these people have served him. You might fancy the point of a book like this is to do just that, but it has come across as horribly rushed and botched. The end result was insensitive, and portrayed both Harry and the military as nearly animalistic. He says the otherization of Muslims was part of military education. While without a doubt true, this is also another convenient way to downplay personal responsibility. This was a disappointing read that left me feeling decidedly worse about the toxicity of the royal family and bleak about any hopes of improvement. It might be worth a read for someone interested in the 'drama' of the royals, but anyone hoping for a decent piece of writing should look elsewhere. Their relationship is so distant that Harry & Will go on tour or engagement in Lesotho together after Will has become engaged privately to Kate. Will never even mentioned it to Harry. Harry finds out when it's published in the papers with the rest of the world.

Spare sweeps behind the scenes of Prince Harry's troubled life to give us an amazing glimpse into the real world of a prince: the privilege, the fame, the adventures alongside the doubts, endless questions, hurt and the constant contradictions of his existence. Some of it is just eye-popping in its content. At the same time, even after comparing his family to a death cult, Harry doesn't denounce monarchy. Does he at last spell out his reasons for leaving Britain? Not really. There are loads of vague accusations. “You know why [I left]!” he yelps at William, in the royal burial ground at Frogmore, their feet almost “on top of Wallis’s grave”. But nothing concrete emerges, unless you think a misreported row over a bridesmaid’s dress is a reason to “flee” a country. Was it down to Meghan, then? Who knows. All I can tell you is that this manchild who once wanted nothing more than to work in an alpine fondue hut is patently obsessed with his wife. (Long story, but he literally peed his pants in the hours before their first date.)